ENVS 465 Disaster Risk Reduction

Winter 2017, CRN: 11470

Instructor: Dr. Rebekah Paci-Green, Arntzen Hall 206,

Office Hours: MW 10am-12pm

Class Meetings: TR 12:00-1:50pm, ES 318

Final: Monday, March 13, 8-10am

Course Summary

This course introduces students to the assessment of disasters, focusing primarily on the social aspects of disasters. The course deals with the question ‘What causes a disaster?’ and looks at what, and most importantly, who is impacted during a disaster. The course enumerates a framework that facilitates reducing disaster risk and mitigating the impacts if one occurs. The course focuses primarily on natural disasters, though concepts and methods are generally appropriate for technological and terrorism disasters. The course takes a global perspective on disasters.

Objectives

The primary objective of the course is to survey the social, economic, ecological, and physical impacts of natural hazards on vulnerable populations in different environments around the world. Students should come away with a set of conceptual tools for analyzing potential impacts associated with disasters. In turn, students will be exposed to strategies for reducing the impacts and the likelihood of disasters. The course aims to help students understand the global context of disasters. Lastly, students will have a chance to build on their critical analysis, writing, and presentation skills.

Student Learning Objectives

  1. To understand:
  2. the interaction between natural hazards and socio-cultural conditions (ENVS 2)
  3. Frameworks for characterizing social vulnerability to natural hazards (contributes to ENVS 1)
  4. Historical and socio-cultural causes of vulnerability to natural hazards both US and international context (contributes to ENVS 1)
  1. To evaluate natural hazard risks and social vulnerability, prioritizingareas of intervention for reducing vulnerability in a real-world context

(contributes to ENVS4; UP 3)

  1. To create and communicate a disaster risk reduction strategy based upon a real-world context

(Contributes to ENVS5 and 6; UP 5)

Readings

Fothergill, A, Peek, L (2015) Children of Katrina. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Readings are assigned and posted on the Canvas course website.

WWU’s Commitment to Inclusion and Class Philosophy

The community of Western Washington University respects and embraces all identities and experiences. We encourage students, staff and faculty to bring their unique thoughts and practices to the conversation. We believe that diversity is immeasurable and practice inclusion within the classroom, beyond the classroom, and throughout our community.

In terms of this course, a diverse group of students and a diverse set of perspectives on vulnerability issues is a HUGE asset. Diverse identities, personal experiences and perspective will be honored and valued as both vulnerability and resilience stem from the situated experiences individuals and communities have vis-à-vis the natural, built, political and social environments in which they are situated. Come prepared to share your perspectives and experiences and be open to others’. Some of our conversations may be challenging and uncomfortable. University settings strive to be supportive, safe, and forgiving learning environments for us all, but to meet higher education learning objectives for your growth, you should also expect (perhaps even learn to appreciate!) having your views and sensibilities challenged regularly.

Undergraduate Assignments and Grading

Unless otherwise indicated by instructor during class, all assignments are to be submitted through the course website.

No. / Assignments / Total Points
Readings and Reaction Papers (35pts)
1 / EightReading Reaction Papers
(Lowest score will be dropped) / 5pts*7=35pts
Facilitate Learning (10pts)
2 / Reaction Presentation & Facilitated Discussion [group] / 5pts
3 / Community Capital diagram or info graphic / 5pts
SFA Resilience Roadmap (55pts)
4 / Regional Summary, draft / 4pts
5 / Regional Summary, revised / 2pts
6 / PAR Model Vulnerability Assessment, just table / 5pts
7 / PAR Model Vulnerability Assessment, draft / 7pts
8 / PAR Model Vulnerability Assessment, revised draft / 3pts
9 / Capacity & Capitals Assessment, draft / 7pts
10 / Capacity & Capitals Assessment, revised draft / 3pts
11 / DRR Achievements Assessment [group] / 7pts
12 / SFA Resilience Roadmap, full report [group] / 20pts
13 / SFA Resilience Roadmap Presentation [group] / 4pts
14 / Peer evaluation / 1pt

Graduate Assignments and Grading

Graduate students taking this course will participate in all undergraduate readings, reading reaction papers and discussions. Many readings for the undergraduates include sections that have been crossed out to shorten the reading and focus them on the most accessible elements of the piece. Graduate students should read the crossed out sections as these sections are often literature reviews and methodologies that are particularly relevant for your studies.

Graduate students will individually, rather than in groups, select a country or region (it may be in the U.S. if related to thesis) to develop their Sendai Framework for Action Resilience Roadmap. Because graduate students will be expected to have more advanced research and writing skills, graduate students will only turn in a final draft of each element of this roadmap.

During the third week of the quarter, each graduate student will also select a specific vulnerability topic or in-depth disaster case study (e.g. youth vulnerability, gender in disasters, disabilities in disaster, ecosystem resilience strategies, agricultural sector DRR, race in disasters, the Nepal earthquake disaster, the Indonesia tsunami, etc.). The graduate student will conduct a literature search to identify at least 8 key references, write a 2500-word synthesizing literature review in the format of a Research-to-Practice Brief, and present the findings to the class during Week 9 or 10. A template and example for the brief will be provided. After completion, and with instructor permission, briefs will be shared with the disaster research community by being submitted to preventionweb.org and to Save the Children, which is developing such briefs for their practitioner network globally.

Unless otherwise indicated by instructor during class, all assignments are to be submitted through the course website.

No. / Assignments / Total Points
Readings and Reaction Papers (35pts)
1 / Eight Reading Reaction Papers
(Lowest score will be dropped) / 5pts*7=35pts
Literature Review (30pts)
2 / Annotated Bibliography / 5pts
3 / Research-to-Practice draft / 15pts
4 / Research-to-Practice –finalized draft / 5pts
5 / Research-to-Practice Presentation / 5pts
SFA Resilience Roadmap (35pts)
6 / Regional Summary / 5pts
7 / PAR Model Vulnerability Assessment, just table / 5pts
8 / PAR Model Vulnerability Assessment / 5pts
9 / Capacity & Capitals Assessment / 5pts
11 / DRR Achievements Assessment / 5pts
12 / SFA Resilience Roadmap, full report / 5pts

Late Policy

All assignments must be submitted via the course website. No late assignment allowed, expect as permitted by university medical and hardship leave policy. Reaction papers are due at the end of the day Sundays; comments on the posts are due the end of the day Mondays.

Grade Scale

A > 94%, A- > 90%, B+ > 87%, B > 83%, B- > 80, C+ > 77%, C > 73%, C- >70%, etc.

Academic Honest and Integrity

Plagiarism

Plagiarism – pretending someone else’ s work is your own – is absolutely unacceptable. ALWAYS attribute, fairly and completely, the source of any quotation or idea. All direct quotes must be properly attributed and in quotation marks. All material from written sources must be paraphrasedIN YOUR OWN WORDS and clearly attributed to that source in text and in a bibliography. All written work will be submitted to electronic plagiarism reviews.

Fabrication of any kind is also absolutely unacceptable.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY requires a formal report to the Provost and Registrar, a failing grade on the assignment or course, counseling, and permanent mark on your academic record. Familiarize yourself with the policy at: and

ENVS 465 Winter 2017 Schedule (subject to minor change)

Week / Class Period / Topic and Readings / Assignments Due
Week 1 / What is a Disaster?
1/5/17 / Syllabus; What Causes a Disaster? Writing and reading strategies
Pick regions/countries. Introduce Regional Summary assignment, with examples / Read and understand syllabus
Week 2 / Social Vulnerability Theory
1/10/17 / Film: The End of Poverty?(1:44:00) / Wisner et al. (2004) Ch. 2, PAR Model of Vulnerability,READ pp. 49-84;
Oliver-Smith (1994)-Historical Roots of Peruvian EQ, ~13pages; / Week 2 Reading Reaction Paper – Social Vulnerability
1/12/17 / Week 2 Reading Discussion (RPG) and application of PAR model
Apply PAR model to the 500-yr Earthquake / SFA Roadmap: Regional Summary, draft
Week 3 / Differential Vulnerability
1/17/16 / Film: “ASF community development in Guatemala” (25min)
Apply PAR model to Guatemalan Mayans / Pelling (2003) Ch 2, Cities&Disaster,~14pages of excerpts;
Powell et al. (2006)Race&Disaster, ~22pages;
Bradshaw and Fordham 2013, Gender&Disaster, READ pp7-23; / Week 3 Reading Reaction Paper– Differential Vulnerability
1/19/14 / Week 3 ReadingDiscussion (RPG)
Identities wheel discussion / SFA Roadmap: Regional Summary, revised draft (undergrads)
Grads: submit topic for Research-to-Practice brief
Week 4 / Community Resilience
1/24/17 / Lecture: UN & World Bank (2010) pp. xix-25; HFA and SFA frameworks
Film: “Who is Dependent on Welfare”Ananya Roy (13:32)
Peer review of PAR models / Manyena 2006, Defining Resilience, ~9pp of excerpts;
Norris et al (2008), Resilience as Community Capitals, ~14pp of excerpts;
Tierney (2015);
Optional: UN & World Bank (2010) pp. 52-63; / Week 3 Reading Reaction Paper–Community Resilience
1/26/17 / Week 3 Reading Discussion (group 1) / You might want to scan World Happiness Report 2015 for use in your sub-regional vulnerability assessment / SFA Roadmap: PAR model vulnerability assessment, just table
Week 5 / Case Study of New Orleans & Hurricane Katrina
1/31/17 / Film: When the Levees Broke
(Part I: 1:45 hours) / Gullete (2006) pp103-117;
Gotham and Greenberg (2008) - ~10 pages of excerpts;
Hartmann and Squires (2006) pp1-10; / Week 4 Reading Reaction Paper – NOLA 1
2/2/17 / Film: When the Levees Broke
(Part 2: 1 hour)
Week 4 Reading Discussion (group 2) / SFA Roadmap: PAR model vulnerability assessment, full draft
Week 6 / Case Study of New Orleans & Hurricane Katrina
2/7/17 / Film: When the Levees Broke
(Part 3: 1:45 hours) / Children of Katrina Ch 4,5, 6 & 7 (long reading, but written as four stories. Not dense);
Aldrich ch 2 (2012) ~10pp of excerpts / Week 5 Reading Reaction Paper – NOLA 2
2/9/17 / Week 5 Reading Discussion (RPG)
Vulnerability exercise, discussion / SFA Roadmap: PAR model vulnerability assessment, revised draft (undergrads)
Grads: annotated bibliography complete
Community Capitals diagram or info graphic (undergrad group 34)
Week 7 / Community Capitals & Services: People and Politics
2/14/17 / Fundamentals of good graphics/diagrams
Lessons from Turkey
Work Period / Miles et al (2011) –Guatemala informal settlements, ~13pp of excerpts;
Saracoglu (2013) – Turkish informal settlements, ~20pp; / Week 6 Reading Reaction Paper — People & Politics
2/16/17 / Week 6 Reading Discussion (group 3)
Review posters / SFA Roadmap: Capitals and Aspirations Assessment, draft
Community Capitals diagram or info graphic (undergrad group 1&2)
Week 8 / Community Capitals & Services: Ecosystems and “Nature”
2/21/17 / Work period / De Clerck (2006) Ecology and Poverty Reduction, ~8 pages;
UNISDR “Environment and Disaster Risk” (p. 1-13);
MEA (2005)ch 2 Eco Services, ~22 pages; / Week 7 Reading Reaction Paper — Nature
2/23/17 / Week 7 Reading Discussion (group 4)
Review posters / SFA Roadmap: Capitals and Aspirations Assessment, revised draft (undergrads)
Grads: Draft Research-to-Practice brief
Week 9 / Strategies and Intervention
2/28/17 / Films: Towards Safer School Construction / UN Habitat pp. i-16 (2001);
ARC How to do a VCA, pp 14-21
ARC VCA Toolbox, pp 13-29;
Tanner 2012 –Livelihoods and Climate Change, ~4 pages. / Week 8 Reading Reaction Paper
3/2/17 / Week 8 Reading Discussion (TA)
Vuln and Capacity Assessment / SFA Roadmap: DRR Achievements Assessment [undergrad groups; grads individual]
Grads: Research-to-Practice Presentation (as needed)
Week 10 / Strategies and Interventions (cont.)
3/7/17 / Watch Easy Like Water, Potomac Media Works, 2013 (56 min)
QC903.2.B3 E27 2013
Work Period
3/9/17 / Work Period
Group-instructor 10 min meetings – feedback on intervention ideas (be ready to talk through intervention ideas in class) / SFA Roadmap: discussion of intervention ideas with instructor [groups, ungraded]
Grads: Research-to-Practice Presentation (as needed)
Finals Week
3/13/17 / Monday, 8-10 am / Grads: Finalized Research-to-Practice Brief
Roadmap Presentations(20min each)
3/15/17 / Noon / FINAL SFA Resilience Roadmap

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS IN CANVAS

Reading Reaction Papers [5pts * 7]

Reaction Paper: Read this week’s assigned readings, which can be found under Modules. Take notes on the argument each author is making and the ways each paper’s thesis and evidence support or counter other readings. Then, write a 500+ word reaction paper that concisely and logically analyzes the week’s readings and any related class discussions, films or other material to date. To receive credit, your post must have the following sections labeled:

  1. Summary:a short intro/summary to the themes you will talk about and then have (short) sections with headings. You must explicitly reference all the readings from the week in some form (preferably APA format). Feel free to also reference current or past events, films we watch, your own personal experience, and comments others make in class. (Here’s an example of how to cite another person’s comments (Glassner, personal communication).)
  2. Synthesis.State your our ownBOLD thesis(yes, actually bold, underlined font) on the week’s themes that brings out new insight and that you then support and defend using the readings. You may bring in personal experience to bolster or provide concrete examples of your thesis, but not as the primary support for your thesis. (In your first reaction papers, it may help to even start your synthesis with“Based upon the readings, I believe that . . .” )

Grading: Reaction papers will get a outstanding/good/need some improvement/unsatisfactory/missing (5/4/3/2/0 pts).

  • In anoutstanding paper (5pts), the author provides a detailed and nuanced description of the readings and makes aBOLD thesisthat draws upon subtleties fromall readings, and expertly uses several quote segments and paraphrases to support the thesisand defend it in the prescribed format of at least 500 words.
  • In agood paper (4pts), the author provides a general overview of the readings and makes a clear, though not necessarily nuanced,BOLD thesisthat may only draw upon one reading. The author supports the thesis with good descriptions of the reading, and defend the idea in the prescribed format of at least 500 words.
  • Asatisfactory paper (3pts)meets basic requirements but is not a reaction (i.e. author summarized all the readings, but didn’t synthesize and react). The thesis is more of a reiteration of the readings and does not attempt new insights. The thesis is supported and defended with reference to readings.
  • Anunsatisfactory paper (2 pts)is 499 words or less, is not in prescribed format, does not make references to all of the readings, or is more than one minute late but is turned in before the class period where the readings are discussed. The author provides evidence that the author thoughtfully completed readings.
  • Amissing paper (0pts)is a paper that is not turned in at all, or one that shows little or no evidence that the author read the readings.

Reaction Presentation & Facilitated Discussion [group] 5pts

UPLOAD PRESENTATION TO CANVAS BY CLASS PERIOD.

In teams, you will be assigned a day to present a set readings, reaction papers, and then facilitate a discussion in class. Your presentation should include the following parts:

  • Brief summary of the theme, readings assigned, and how you will approach the presentation and discussion (1pts)
  • Your group's synthesis/opinions related to the readings (1pts)
  • Select three of the best Bold theses from your peer's reading reaction papers. Show the class the thesis and verbally (not on the slide!) explain the evidence used to support it. Allow class to "react to the thesis" by giving a few minutes for students to write responses, then share. (1pts)
  • Then ask the class about two major issues you and others identified in your reaction. This is not necessarily just two questions – be prepared to ask the class multiple questions or re-phrasings of the questions to stimulate conversation. Be BOLD on everything. (1pts)

Together, your presentation and facilitated discussion will be the major activity for Reading Discussion Thursdays, so plan on being able to use at least 50 minutes, if not longer. You are welcome to plan class activities, bring in relevant outside examples, short video clips, current events or images, as long as they are directly relevant to the theme.

Community Capitals and Services diagram or infographic [work in 2's or 3's] 5pts

Create a diagram or infographic that illustrates either one community capitals reading or a major course concept.

  • If you decide toillustrate a concept,identify the main outcome of the concept and diagram the components that support or "cause" this outcome. Your illustration should link the chosen concept with multiple readings or additional course concepts.

(Note: The concept of vulnerability is not an acceptable choice. The PAR model is a diagram of that concept, so it's been done.)

  • If you want toillustrate a reading, identify the important components within the paper, determine how they relate, and literally draw how the components and relationships fit together. One way to do this is by identifying (some) important nouns within the paper and then drawing and labeling (some of) the important verbs/relationships between these nouns.

(Note:Miles et al. 2011on Guatemalan informal settlements has a good example of how tovisually display capitals and services. This is the one reading you are not allowed to choose, since the authors already created an illustration)

The form of the drawing can be anything from a ball and stick diagram to a cartoon. but it should indicate care and attention to detail. Have fun with it! The drawing must have some form of legend (if icons or colors are used to represent items) AND it must have a brief explanation telling the viewer how to interpret it, with a particular emphasis on helping the viewer how to "flow" through the diagram/infographic. You will present your illustration in class.

Regional Summary Draft 1 [individual] 4pts

Based upon your group's selected region, each of you should individually describe your region. The description should include, at minimum, describe:

  • physical and cultural (social, economic, political) geography. Do NOT just spit out geography facts. Carefully select facts that will support your later discussion of vulnerability to disasters and clearly link physical and cultural geography to natural hazard exposure and social vulnerability to it.
  • the region’s (and, if relevant, sub-regions) economic and human development, compared with global averages
  • the primary hazards and disasters with which communities in this region contend. (Focus on the most threatening hazards, rather than trying to describe all hazards present in the region. Justify your selection of the most important hazards using what you learned in Natural Hazards Planning and theTobin and Montz reading. . .no, you’re not allowed to forget last quarter.)
  • Your summary should includeat least one relevant original table or graphicthat you reference and explain in your summary. Your regional summary should have no fewer than five (5) outside citations and one (1) course reading citations, using APA style.

Length 750-1000 words, strict. I actually want you to learn to be concise.